


A Burst of Light

by DeliriousOrange



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Adam finally gets the massage he's needed for like 900 years, Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Future, Mild Angst, Nightmares, a lot of fluff if i'm being honest, but only in the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:07:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24832825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeliriousOrange/pseuds/DeliriousOrange
Summary: Adam has a nightmare. The detective helps him relax.
Relationships: Female Detective/Adam du Mortain
Comments: 5
Kudos: 79





	A Burst of Light

**Author's Note:**

> I've wanted to write this since the lab scene in book one. I also wanted to practice writing Adam's POV so here we are. Set pretty far into the series cos this is Adam 'emotional constipation is my middle name' Du Mortain and they'd have to be pretty deep into their relationship before he'd let the detective comfort him like this. Enjoy!

_ “Adam!” _

_ He looked around desperately for the source of her voice, but it was impossible to see anything in the dark. The dark- it consumed everything, made it impossible for even a shred of light to shine through. _

_ The light- But there was a light. _

_ There, just a sliver, cutting through the darkness, almost blinding in its intensity. It peeked through the shadows,trying to reach him. _

_ “Adam! Please!” _

_ It was her. She needed him. _

_ And Adam tried. He tried to find her, to reach out for her. But it was like the darkness had formed a wall between them; solid, unbreakable. And he tried- beat his fists against it until they were bloody, screamed until his throat was raw. He tried everything in his power. _

_ But it wasn’t enough. _

_ All he could do was listen- to her screams, her begging, her crying out his name. She needed- she needed him. Now. But he couldn’t reach her. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t reach her. _

_ “Please…” he whispered, collapsing against the wall of darkness, voice hoarse from yelling and fists sore from trying to break through. He couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t listen to his failures anymore, his failure to protect the one person who mattered the most. The most precious thing he had ever held in his arms, and all he could do was listen to her scream, begging for him to save her. _

_ “I’m sorry…”  _

“Rachel.”

Adam woke up gasping, disoriented as he took in the world around him, trying to make sense of it. But the room he was in was very familiar- his bedroom. He was in his bed. And the figure curled up next to him- Rachel. It was Rachel.

She was still sleeping, chest rising and falling slowly, hair strewn messily across the pillows. Her head rested against his arm, her breath warming his skin. It was a miracle he hadn’t woken her up, one he was grateful for. She needed her rest. And she was so peaceful when she was asleep.

He watched her for a few moments, making sure she was truly alright, that she was real. She shifted slightly in her sleep, pressing even closer against him. Adam stroked his fingers over her hair gently, eyes never straying from her face. He felt his heartbeat slowly return to normal with every breath she took and every gentle beat of her heart.

But the restlessness had yet to leave his bones, adrenaline still pumping through his system. Every time he closed his eyes, he just heard her screams, her accusations.

He couldn’t stay there.

Slowly, extremely careful not to wake up Rachel, Adam pulled himself from bed. He tucked the sheets around her small form, making sure she was warm enough. And then, with one last look at her face, he quietly slipped from the room.

He headed straight for the training room. He needed to clear his head, wipe the nightmare from his memory, and he knew of no better way. Training had always made him feel better in the past, allowed him to focus, and the first punch he launched at the wooden dummy in front of him did ease the tension within him, if even just a little.

But it wasn’t enough.

No matter how many jabs and kicks he landed, no matter how many dummies shattered beneath his fist, he could still hear Rachel screaming in his head. Could still hear her calling out his name.

_ “Adam! You were supposed to protect me!” _

_ “Please, Adam! I need you!” _

_ “Adam!” _

“Adam.”

He exhaled sharply, a voice- a  _ real  _ one- jolting him from his thoughts like he had been electrocuted. Chest heaving, he surveyed the destruction around him. Not a single dummy remained standing, most reduced to a pile of splinters, and he sighed at the thought of having to replace them. Again.

Before he could get distracted once more, he felt a warm hand rest on his arm. He relaxed automatically at the familiar touch. “It’s alright,” Rachel murmured, her breath whispering against his skin and making his eyes close.

Adam allowed himself a few moments to enjoy the feel of her palm against his skin, before forcing his eyes open and pulling away.

“Go back to bed.” He hated how rough his voice sounded, as shaky as he felt. He didn’t want Rachel to know that, refused to let her worry about him. It was why he couldn’t look her in the eyes, because he knew she would see right through him if he did. “I’m fine.”

She didn’t respond, but he could feel her eyes on him, watching him carefully. He shifted under the weight of her gaze, feeling his shoulders slump as if he couldn’t bare it.

“I’m fine, Rachel. It’s nothing,” he repeated, his voice so soft it was barely audible. “Go back to sleep. Please.”

Rachel sighed and then she was wrapping an arm around his waist, her fingers stroking down his spine as she leaned her cheek against his back. Adam immediately stiffened, 900 years’ worth of old habits telling him to pull away from her. But before he could, Rachel placed a gentle kiss between his shoulder blades and hugged him tighter. Adam found himself melting into her arms, leaning back into her touch and letting his eyes close.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” she breathed against his skin, still running her fingers up and down his back. “But I’m not going anywhere without you.”

He almost wanted to make her promise that, but knew that it wasn’t something that could be promised. Some things were beyond anyone’s control, and that’s what was at the root of his fear, he realized. That, no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t be enough. No matter how hard he tried, he wouldn’t be able to protect her.

“I’m alright, Rachel,” he murmured, voice gentler than it had been before. He let one of his hands cover the one of hers that was resting against his stomach. “Don’t worry about me.”

“We worry about each other,” she answered and he could feel her small smile against his skin. “So let me. I want to.”

A weary sigh escaped his lips before he nodded slowly. He felt her smile grow and she pressed another kiss against his shoulder blade. “Come back to bed with me,” she said, her words part command and he felt a smile grow on his lips despite the fear that still twisted at his insides.

“I…” he trailed off, getting lost in the soft strokes of her fingertips along his spine. “I can’t. I can’t go back to sleep.”

There was a pause, her smile briefly replaced with a frown. Then she was smiling again, nuzzling into his back. “Who said anything about sleeping?”

A chuckle rumbled through his chest before he could stop himself, his body feeling lighter with every minute he spent in her arms. “What are you offering, Detective?” He asked, a teasingness to his voice that made her laugh too. The last of his tension eased from his body and he entwined their fingers together as they rested against his stomach.

“Thought I could help you relax, Agent,” Rachel answered, her voice warm and low with a promise of what might come. “If you want me to.”

Instead of answering, Adam turned around so that they were face to face, wrapping both of his arms around her waist and tugging her closer. His nightmare was still there in the back of his mind, niggling at him, but it was easy to block out her screams from his dream when the real Rachel was alive and safe in his arms.

They were face to face for the first time that night and he let his eyes rove over her. She was still rumpled from sleep, hair messy and sticking up in several directions so he raised one of his hands to smooth it down. She was wearing one of his t-shirts that she had taken to stealing from him, the fabric reaching her knees. Rachel smiled softly as she gazed up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

His fingers twisted into the fabric at her hips, tugging her forward until they were flush against each other. Adam let his free hand trail up to her face, tracing the length of her jaw before cupping her cheek. Rachel leaned into his hand, letting her eyes shut briefly.

His thumb brushed against her lips and Adam traced the curve of them with his eyes. Not too long ago, he had barely allowed himself this. To think that he could just lean forward and capture her lips with his and Rachel would only smile and kiss him back- it was almost too much. It felt like a dream.

One he prayed he would never wake from.

Echoing his thoughts, Adam leaned forward to brush their lips together once, twice, a tease of the real thing. Growing impatient, Rachel tugged him down by the back of his neck so that she could kiss him properly. Sighing into the kiss, he let his hand sink into her hair, keeping her as close to him as possible.

Rachel pulled away first, letting her lips trail along his jaw, hands dropping to wrap around his waist once more. Adam tried to commit every touch, every brush of her lips, to memory. His eyes started to close just as she pulled away and they immediately snapped back open at the lack of her warmth.

Grinning, Rachel grabbed both of his hands with hers and laced their fingers together, giving a gentle tug as she stepped backwards. “Coming?” She asked, voice light as she took another step.

Adam followed her blindly, letting her lead him wherever she so desired, eyes never once straying from her face.

It was a short walk back to his room, the warehouse quiet and still around them. Once they were inside, the door shut firmly behind them, Rachel pulled him towards her using their joined hands and kissed him once more. His whole being lit up as her fingers curled around the back of his neck, gently scraping his skin with her nails.

The kiss was slow and sweet, his body and mind relaxing until his nightmare was a distant memory and almost completely forgotten. Rachel pulled away too soon, and he opened his mouth to protest, only to have her tug him towards his bed. “Come lay down.”

Adam let himself get pushed back onto the bed, fingers curling around the hem of her stolen shirt to make sure she didn’t go too far. Still smiling, Rachel leaned down to run her hands through his hair. He sighed, the sound close to a purr, and let his hand trail from her shirt to her bare thighs.

Rachel sighed breathlessly, biting her lip as his fingers traced patterns along the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Her breath hitched as he inched closer and closer to her center, before she blinked a few times and regained focus. She gently pulled his hand away, running her fingers across his knuckles as if she needed to touch every part of him.

“I’m taking care of you tonight,” she informed him, entwining their fingers briefly before dropping his hand. Adam couldn’t remember the last time he had allowed anyone to care for him, but the prospect of Rachel doing so was too tempting to resist. And her tone left little room for argument. “Now turn over.”

Adam raised an eyebrow at this, apprehension clear in his expression. She rolled her eyes fondly, running her fingers through his hair again. “I told you I was going to help you relax, Agent Du Mortain. Now trust me and turn over.”

He regarded her for a few moments before doing as ordered, laying face down on his stomach. A few seconds later, he felt Rachel straddle his hips from behind. Still confused as to what exactly she was up to, Adam opened his mouth to question her, only to feel his jaw go slack and a groan escape him as she began to massage his shoulders.

She started with long, slow strokes down his back, her fingers digging gently into his muscles at regular intervals. Adam felt his eyes automatically close as a pressure he was so used to carrying in his shoulders finally released. A sigh passed from his lips as he practically melted into her touch, his body relaxing underneath hers more with every passing moment.

“Your back is pretty much one big tension knot,” she informed him, working her thumbs along the back of his neck and eliciting another groan from him. He didn’t respond, too caught up in her touch to focus on anything else.

“Is this pressure okay?” She asked, but again he ignored her in favor of enjoying the massage. He frowned when her hands suddenly paused below his shoulder blades, eyes slowly blinking open. “Adam? I’m not hurting you, am I?”

“No!” The word left his mouth in a rush, giving away his eagerness for her to continue but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “No, it’s- it’s good.”

He couldn’t see the smile on her lips, but yet somehow he knew it was there. “Good,” she murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his shoulder as she picked up her pace once more. “I’ve wanted to do this for a really long time, you know.”

“Mmm,” was the only response that came from him, his eyes falling shut again. Rachel worked from his shoulders down to his lower back, thumbs gently working any knots she found.

“I like taking care of you,” she admitted a few minutes later, voice soft so as not to completely disturb the peaceful silence that formed between them. “I wish you would let me do it more often.”

Adam paused, her small confession jolting him from the half-stupor he had seemed to have fallen into. “I… I like it too,” he blurted out, surprising both of them. He stiffened automatically at the words he hadn’t meant to say, but the motions of her soft, gentle hands made him relax once more. “I will try harder to allow you to in the future.”

He could practically hear her smile grow wider. “That’s all I ask.”

More time passed in comfortable silence, Adam edging closer and closer to sleep as Rachel worked the tension out of his body. He had almost fallen completely asleep when he felt her hands come to a stop and she slipped off of his back.

She laid down next to him, hands still gently stroking his skin. After blinking the sleep away, Adam slowly rolled onto his back, his muscles feeling more relaxed than they had in centuries. He turned his head slightly so he could gaze back at Rachel, stretching his hand out so that he could stroke her cheek.

“Thank you,” he murmured, feeling a warmth for the woman next to him threaten to overwhelm him. “For taking care of me.”

The smile on her face could have lit up the entire room. He felt it light him up. “Thank you for letting me,” she replied, wiggling closer so that she could kiss him softly on the lips.

The kiss was slow and sweet and said more than words could say. Eventually, Rachel pulled away for air, eyes full of fondness as she placed one last kiss on his cheek. Adam responded by wrapping her up in his arms and pulling her into his chest. Rachel nuzzled into his neck as his hands slipped under her shirt to press against the bare skin of her back, holding her to him like he was afraid she’d disappear.

Adam promised himself then, as Rachel’s breathing slowed and she started to drift off to sleep in his arms, that his nightmare would never come true. There was nothing he would not do to keep her safe. And that  _ would  _ be enough.

He refused to let the only light in his life fade away.

Newly resolved, Adam felt sleep try to cling to him once more. And, feeling safe and relaxed and at peace with Rachel so near, he allowed it to take him. And when sleep did come, the only thing he dreamed of was the light and Rachel.


End file.
